Aberdeen-born James Craik helped Scotland become World Junior champions with an emphatic 7-1 victory against Germany in Sweden.
British Curling’s golden season ended in appropriate fashion in Jonkoping when James Craik, Angus Bryce, Scott Hyslop and Niall Ryder recorded a comfortable win.
Team Craik had been the strongest team throughout the event and demonstrated their superiority from the outset in the decider as they produced a relentless performance in overcoming Benny Kapp’s men.
“It was such a clinical performance,” said 21-year-old Craik, who is from Edzell.
“All the boys played fantastic and it was very rare that Germany had a simple shot of any sort or had a chance to put us under any real pressure. It was just the perfect game for us.”
STORY | Scotland claim World Junior men’s gold medalshttps://t.co/4veo6A609F#WJCC2022 #Curling pic.twitter.com/4IIwlIexlk
— World Curling (@worldcurling) May 22, 2022
On a personal level it was the culmination of four years hard work, having been part of Ross Whyte’s team that had claimed bronze at the 2019 event.
In 2020 Craik, along with Bryce and Ryder on that occasion, won another bronze, while this was a first medal for Hyslop and for alternate Jack Carrick.
The skip said he had drawn inspiration from the men they work alongside at the National Curling Academy in Stirling, this season’s European champions, Olympic finalists and Pinty’s Grand Slam Cup winners Team Mouat.
"I’m really proud to be the team that’s made Scotland world champions," @James_Craik who skipped his team to gold @worldcurling Junior Champs after 7-1 defeat of Germany.
▶️https://t.co/MSVHh6ljgy
📸British Curling #curling #WJCC2022 pic.twitter.com/yG1yaIrDOS— British Curling (@BritishCurling) May 22, 2022
“It’s something I’ve thought about ever since I’ve started curling,” he said.
“I’ve watched people win it, the likes of Bruce Mouat when he won gold and it was such a turning point in his career. He’s just gone on from there.
“To equal his achievement at World Juniors and to be able to call myself a world champion is just crazy for me.”